Majority in New Jersey Support Same Sex Marriage

With a new same sex marriage bill having been introduced into the New Jersey legislature, a new poll may give Gov. Chris Christie pause if the bill clears the legislature and lands on his desk. Christie is playing coy as to what he'll do should that situation occur, but the new poll results show that he'd be going against a majority of New Jersey citizens, if not in the New Jersey GOP. The Quinnipiac University Poll also shows that the messaging of religious extremist groups like the National Organization for Marriage and hate groups like Family Research Council are failing to convince voters, a commanding majority of whom do not see same sex marriage as a threat to heterosexual marriage. Here are some poll highlights:

New Jersey voters support 52 - 42 percent allowing same-sex couples to marry, the first time support tops 50 percent. There is a strong divide between those who attend religious services weekly and those who attend less frequently, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

In today's survey, support for same-sex marriage is 62 - 33 percent among Democrats and 54 - 38 percent among independent voters. Republicans are opposed 59 - 35 percent. White Catholics support it 50 - 45 percent while white Protestants are opposed 51 - 44 percent. Voters who attend religious services weekly are opposed 58 - 36 percent, while voter who attend services less frequently support same-sex marriage 61 - 33 percent.

On related issues, New Jersey voter opinions are:

• 65 - 32 percent that same-sex marriage is not a threat to traditional marriage;
• 53 - 45 percent that denying same-sex marriage is discrimination;
• 69 - 26 percent support for New Jersey's same-sex civil union law;
• 66 - 29 percent support allowing same-sex couples to adopt children.

In other bad news for Republicans, the poll also found: New Jersey voters support 58 - 30 percent the so-called Millionaire's Tax, with 75 - 14 percent support among Democrats and 61 - 29 percent support among independent voters. Republicans oppose the tax 52 - 33 percent.